FRANCE
Relax & walk, learn & talk, enjoy & cook

We fell in love with Provence many years ago and there is nowhere else in the world quite like it. Above all, Provence is a region to feed the senses — the strong colours which attracted many of the world’s famous painters, the smell of lavender, pine and wild herbs, shopping in colourful markets, street cafes, local wines, rich vegetable soups, chicken stuffed with rosemary and bouillabaisse with freshly baked bread.

On this holiday we stay in an idyllic country retreat in Upper Provence. It is an area of great natural beauty away from the tourist haunts. During the three day cooking seminar, professional chef, Gabriela Clarke, will introduce you to authentic Provençale cooking. It is a pleasant way to immerse yourself in the French way of life and learn how to prepare and cook the delicious local produce.

Included in our itinerary are visits to the famous Forcalquier market, a rustic chevre cheese farm, an ancient olive mill, France’s No.1 pastis distillery and Monsieur Pierre Bresc, a local bee-keeper. We also have the rare opportunity to go truffle hunting with Etienne, our friend and local identity.

Our walks take us into the gentle hills of Provence with siestas in a field of wild thyme, strolling through small hilltop towns and visiting the famous Gorge du Verdon, the second deepest canyon in the world.

Our Hotels & Cuisine

After a day of activities, relax in the beautiful gardens of our retreat or visit one of the local cafes and practise your French with the locals. Take a swim, play tennis or enjoy a game of boule at sunset (it is a great excuse for a glass of pastis!) We stay in one of our favourite hotels, Auberge Charembeau.

Located in an idyllic Provincial setting in Haute Provence, it has a swimming pool and tennis courts. We have selected a number of individual restaurants which highlight the diversity of the “Cuisine Provençale”.

The dinners during our 3 days of cooking will be in the dining room of our own home, enjoying our efforts from the afternoon, together with some excellent local wines

Tour combination

Departure dates have been arranged to allow both the "A WEEK IN PROVENCE" and "DISCOVER THE PYRENEES" walks to be combined.